Window air conditioners cost less than central units, averaging $300. These systems generally suffice to keep a room cool on warm spring and summer days. They can bring added comfort for a reasonable price but are less powerful than a central air conditioner. If you have a bigger home with multiple rooms, you will probably need to have a larger system installed. Central air can cool several rooms at once, while window AC units usually only cover one or two rooms at a time.
HVAC System Quality Installation Contractor Checklist -- This checklist identifies all of the steps the contractor has taken for the Energy Star Certification and identifies what work the contractor has done. If the system is later modified, this checklist can help identify what was done to proper Energy Star specifications and what was added later that may not meet the requirements.
Although most new homes have ducts and vents already in place, many older homes have old convection heating systems or baseboard heaters without ductwork. In such cases, you will need to install ducts and vents to provide the air conditioning with a flow system. This would be the time to explore upgrading the existing heating system as well, as it will be much cheaper to do together.

Capacitors -- Capacitors help your HVAC motor start from a standstill. Over time they can weaken. As they weaken, they cause the motor to run hotter. This can shorten the life expectancy of your motor. Once a capacitor fails, the whole motor will stop working. You usually won't notice that a capacitor has weakened until your motor stops turning on.

In addition to the information below, see these two articles for the general care and maintenance of your air conditioner: Preparing Your Air Conditioner for Summer and How to Replace Furnace & AC Filters. Most noteworthy, you should replace the filters at least twice a year, before the heating and cooling seasons. For information on furnace problems, please see Furnace Not Working.